Peek A Boo
by LondonBelow
Summary: Estel begins learning Elvish, Legolas's brooch is returned, and Elrond participates in a game of Peek-a-boo; and all during one supper.


Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places thereof  
  
*****  
  
Legolas smiled the moment he entered the dining hall of Imladris. The room had always seemed less a dining hall and more a mess hall to Legolas, for there seemed to be no propriety here. Basic table manners were expected, of course, but if someone slumped or spilled their drink, hardly an eyelash was batted. Legolas himself slid into a seat next to his friend Elrohir, across from Elladan.  
  
"Legolas?" Elladan asked, biting back laughter. He blinked almost feminine black lashes to clear his eyes, then said, "Are you aware of the, er, less than professional appearance of your cloak?"  
  
With a slight smile and only a touch of pink to his cheeks, Legolas answered, "Your little brother stole my brooch."  
  
"Estel stole?" Elrohir could hardly keep his mouth closed in surprise. How could such an innocent thing be capable of an emotion like that: malice? "He is only a child!"  
  
It must have appeared so scandalous! Legolas nearly laughed at his friend's shock. "No, no, we were playing a game and he hid the brooch. I could not find it again. Will you tell me about him?" Legolas asked, recalling Elrond's resistance to discussion on the matter. "Estel calls Lord Elrond 'Ada.' The Lady of Imladris is long departed, but surely Lord Elrond would never be unfaithful to her?"  
  
Elladan grimaced. The suggestion of his father behaving in such a manner offended him, and he spoke to this degree. "Such a practice is not unheard of, this is true, but surely you would not think it any capability of one of our father's. . .character. Estel was recently orphaned. Until he is a man full grown, Imladris will be his home. His mother, the lady Gilraen, wishes it."  
  
Though Elladan spoke of Estel and his true lineage only in veiled facts and hints, he did wish Legolas to understand, and raised an eyebrow to emphasis the underlying meaning of his words. "Lady Gilraen. . ." Legolas muttered. He knew the name, but from where? At once his eyes alit with understanding. "She is never slain? The lady of the Chieftain of the Dunedain?"  
  
Elrohir took up the answer to this. "She but lies in the Hall of Healing here in Imladris and will be well again. Arathorn, the Chieftain himself, is slain by an orc in a great scrimmage. We were there." His eyes clouded with sorrow, but he shook his head and forced a smile. "Such heavy matters are no topic for light times as these."  
  
The conversation would have continued: Legolas was poised to speak with a question on his lips: but for the arrival of Lord Elrond with a bouncing child in his arms. Suddenly self-conscious of their exclusive shell formation, the three friends split apart and straightened their shoulders. "Why do you suddenly appear guilty?" Elrond asked, settling Estel between himself and Elladan. "Or do I want to know?" He smiled.  
  
When Elrohir answered this it was to say, "Ada, we are no longer small boys! We are, the three of us, full grown." Though in their younger days the three had been quite the energetic little terrors, they had managed to grow into three seasoned diplomats and warriors.  
  
Elrond grinned. "So I forget this every now and again," he said with a shrug. "You must forgive an old man."  
  
"Hello again, Estel," Legolas said, having nothing to add to the conversation of the Peredhil.  
  
"'Las!" Estel cried gleefully. He bounced up and down.  
  
Elrond cleared his throat. "Legolas. . .we are hoping that Estel will be able to adjust to life in Imladris quickly. He does not know Elvish and should he not learn it, this most assuredly would isolate him from the others. If you would please use that language as much as possible?" He knew and Legolas knew that Estel would never truly feel a part of the society in Imladris: Estel's mortality would always set him apart, in his mind if not that of others.  
  
Legolas nodded. "Of course. Mae govannen, Estel!" he amended. Estel blinked and shook his head. He did not understand. In a conspiratal whisper, Legolas said, "It means hello." Louder he added, "You try saying it."  
  
"My-ay guv'nen," Estel said, then smiled, pleased with himself. Legolas looked to Elrond, hoping he was behaving appropriately. Surely a little of Estel's own language would never hurt him. Elrond nodded, recovering from his disapproving look aimed at Elladan, who winced slightly at Estel's complete butchery of the Elvish language.  
  
"We will work on that," Legolas promised Estel. The younger boy tilted his head.  
  
"Work on what?" he asked. To his own ears, the words seemed just fine.  
  
Legolas did not wish to be harsh, so said, "Perhaps we will expand your Elvish vocabulary." Estel returned this with a blank look, and Legolas tried again, "I will teach you more words." These words Estel knew, and he nodded with enthusiasm.  
  
For a while the meal proceeded in silence, Estel managing to make a spectacular mess of himself although Elladan did his best to prevent this-- the idea of keeping his clothes clean and that of actually consuming any food seemed incapable of peaceful coexistence in Estel's mind.  
  
Then Elrond caught sight of the string keeping Legolas's cloak on. "Oh!" Elrond dug into his pocket and produced Legolas's brooch. "This must be yours!"  
  
"You have found it!" Legolas exclaimed happily, taking the proffered item. He picked the knots out of the string and fastened the brooch in place of it. "Where did he hide it?"  
  
"Estel did not hide it. I found him playing with it this evening, after his nap."  
  
The shine had gone from the brooch, smudged by Estel's fingers, and it seemed to be almost sticky--he must have chewed on it, Legolas realized, and he looked at Estel, who was watching the brooch with touching melancholy. Estel displayed a sadness deeper than was logical at loss of a simple bauble. After a moment of puzzling over this, Legolas remembered what Elladan had said of Estel's recent past and he understood.  
  
"Legolas?" Elrond questioned as Legolas took the brooch from his cloak. Shaking his head, he held it out to Estel, whose eyes lit up happily. He took the brooch without question and held it.  
  
"Think of what he has lost," Legolas answered, watching as Estel played carefully with the newly reacquired toy. "What is a cloakpin, more or less? He looks happy." As he said this he focused intently on retying the knots in the string that would hold his cloak about his shoulders. It was understood that this act of generosity, or the emotions revealed by it, embarrassed the prince, and no one would comment.  
  
"Thank you," Estel said quietly.  
  
Legolas answered, "Hannon lle." When Estel gave him a blank look, he added, "This is 'thank you' in Elvish."  
  
"Hannon lle," Estel tried. It felt easier this time. "Hannon lle, hannon lle. . ." he repeated the phrase triumphantly. Then, for no apparent reason, he buried his face in his napkin and would not look up again.  
  
"Estel?" Elrond asked, confused. Could something have upset him? It was Elrohir who remembered first.  
  
"Ada," Elrohir said, "when Elladan and I were small, and we would place a cloth over our heads and think we had disappeared: do you recall? Estel is playing our game!"  
  
Elrond nodded. It was worth a try. At best he would make the child very happy, and at worst he would look like a fool. "Where has Estel gone to?" Elrond asked, as though truly confused. Elladan and Elrohir grinned at each other. "Could he be hiding under the table?" He mocked searching beneath the table. "No, he is not there. . .where could he have gone?"  
  
"I'm here, Ada!" Estel answered, giggling as he pulled the napkin away from his face.  
  
"Oh, _there_ you are!" Elrond exclaimed. "Where have you been hiding?" this last sentences was added with playful anger. Estel could hardly stop giggling. Until, that is, he stopped mid-giggle to yawn. "Are you sleepy again, Estel?" Elrond asked.  
  
The child vehemently shook his head, causing his hair to take flight in many directions. "Not sleepy!" The punctuation of this sentence with a yawn spoke quite loudly to the contrary. "Maybe a little. . ."  
  
"Maybe a lot?" Elrond questioned. This routine, also, was old to him. "Come; perhaps when you are wearing your pyjamas you will feel even more tired!"  
  
"Perhaps," Estel answered doubtfully.  
  
But after a round of good-night hugs, Estel allowed Elrond to carry him out of the room, half-asleep already. "Does he ever walk anywhere?" Legolas asked, recalling Estel's entrance.  
  
Elladan laughed. "Not if he can help it, the manipulative little goat."  
  
Elrohir gave his brother a playful shove. "You know, Legolas," he said seriously, "you have a friend for life in that one."  
  
*****  
  
The End 


End file.
